Eesch! Taxes. I’ve bought loads of stuff from the US over the years (I’m in Sweden) and on a few occasions had experiences similar to yours. It didn’t happen to me with the HxM but I got nailed for a computer part I bought earlier this year, and the transporter was FedEx. What got me hot was not the taxes I’m expected to pay, but that FedEx charged me an admin fee for customs processing. This also happened with UPS once, but so far never when delivery began with the US Post.

Eesch! Taxes. I’ve bought loads of stuff from the US over the years (I’m in Sweden) and on a few occasions had experiences similar to yours. It didn’t happen to me with the HxM but I got nailed for a computer part I bought earlier this year, and the transporter was FedEx. What got me hot was not the taxes I’m expected to pay, but that FedEx charged me an admin fee for customs processing. This also happened with UPS once, but so far never when delivery began with the US Post.

It is possible. The HxM module is compatible with Android, Win mobile and Symbian apps, so long as the app’s developer adds the support for it (available from Zephyr). Endomondo added HxM support for their Android app months ago and wrote this when announced: “We launch this feature for Android phones only version 2.0 and onwards to begin with, but don’t worry we will add other mobile platforms as well as other heart rate monitor brands as we go on. We’ll make sure to keep you guys in the loop.” June 10, 2010

Be sure to let your favorite app’s devs know you want support. http://www.endomondo.com/contact From the devs I’ve talked to that currently offer HxM support, implementation of Zephyr’s SDK was fairly easy to do.

The HxM uses Bluetooth to connect and requires a compatible app to record its output. This excludes any hrm watch currently out there, to my knowledge.

As things exist today, I agree that an ideal setup for running would add a watch to the HxM/Android experience. Thinking ahead, apps have room for more features which could answer much of what a watch accessory provides. Really good voice announcement settings available in SportsTracker and Run.GPS can make looking at your Android unnecessary. If an app could provide custom, on-demand voice announcements triggered by something like our headset controls, we might be better off.

A slightly battery-hungry solution would be an app that shows session stats on our lock screens. Of course the lock screen would remain lit. Session pauses when unlocked. My requests have been submitted:-)

Oh btw, I used to run with a Nokia E61, a separate BT GPS module, a traditional Polar hrm and in the winter I also wear a headlamp. Geek-y.

Rutger

I will say watchout however as I have now recieved a bill from Fedex for another $34 – bit upset really as I thought all the duties included in cost

so I paid $99 (£64) for the hxm $23.99 (£15.50) for the delivery to UK and now $34 (£22) for duty which was not mentioned at any point of the sale

wow – and I thought the delivery was expensive

I have an HTC Desire and have been using one from TuneBelt. It's ok and does the job, but I don't like it enough to recommend it. The model is rebranded for sale at http://www.endomondo.com I bought mine here: http://www.rungps.net/wiki/Neoprene_Armband_AB8...

iGadgitz will have a custom-fitting armband for Desire in September. For now, they make one for Nexus One which has nearly identical specs. http://www.igadgitz.com/products/find-accessori... I'm ordering one tonight and will post pictures when I receive it.

Keep in mind when you download an app, Market or manual, the only way to know a file's transfer is perfect is by using md5 checksum. Since this isn't possible most of the time, try uninstalling a problem app and its associated folders then reinstalling over a solid internet connection.

Task killers shouldn't be used, IMO, yet they're usually the first apps new Android users get from the Market. If you just have to kill-all, then reboot manually.

Regarding the os-reboot issue; It's not a complete reboot of the phone, but the home page vanishes and the HTC logo is displayed before the home screen is re-loaded. I was using an task killer (Advanced Task Killer) but this was to kill the “Zephyr Connection” app / “Heartrate” app because they seem to lock up the phone every now and again (it goes sluggish to the point of being un-usable and even hangs when I attempt to power it off). It's as though I can use them while “active”, but if I exit the app and use the phone for something else it starts to slow down and freezes up. I removed the task killer and that solved the problem of os-reboot, but the freezing problem still remains. I wonder if that is bluetooth stack related. Hmmm.

I also used as an excuse to root the Bluetooth stack problems of some, but not all, Android 2.1 handsets using Sense. This affects models from HTC and Samsung. My unlocked, stock Desire was not showing the BT problems using SportsTracker and HxM whatsoever, but using Run.GPS I could not connect to the HxM. Then Endomondo added HxM support and my BT connection was on and off. Run.GPS had a good forum thread going about the issue and an eventual app update worked around the 2.1-Sense BT bug. SportsTracker knew the problem was affecting some users and its devs solved the bug by using a separate Zephyr/SportsTracker app. Again for the record, this BT bug affects some Android 2.1 handsets running Sense when attempting BT-data connections.

I'm curious about your auto-rebooting problems with SportsTracker. Did you try uninstalling and reinstalling the app, and are you using a task-killer/manager? Can you reproduce the issue and have you tried copying the log and sending it to SportsTracker support?

I've read elsewhere online talk about problems with the bluetooth stack in Android 2.1. Disappointing, but I guess that's what you get being an early(ish) adopter.

First, no system that's mass produced, traditional or mobile-app, can match the precision of lab-obtained data. If we need to know precise VO2Max values, Lactate Thresholds, Max Heart Rates, EPOC, METS, and so on, that has to be done in a controlled environment. Those algorithms you mention need to be reliable and well-implemented, but even good ones wont make up for users who don't understand their own conditioning or determine heart rate zones using age-graded charts alone.

Traditional players (Polar, Suunto, etc) have clear advantages with their systems such as form factor, tested software and accessories. Each brand produces a complete product and has control over most aspects: From bio-sensors; to GPS tracking; to analytical algorithms.

Mobile-app based systems have to deal with far more variables: Bio-sensors from different brands; Entrepreneurial Apps; Varying-capable handsets; Different GPS chipsets; Varying algorithms for GPS tracking accuracy and athletic performance. At the same time, mobile-app based systems offer a great deal more in areas of customization, big displays for maps and charted data, voice feedback, connectivity and entertainment.

Yes, I'd say the “leisure” market is the target as daily Android activations top 200K at the moment. That is not to say mobile-app based systems cannot be every bit as good as those from the traditional players. The catch is you have to choose your components wisely. That said, I think we can expect to see the traditional players offering their own apps in the near future.

The ideal system would bring together both the old and the new. Allowing us to use the right handset as our portable fitness computers with accessories for different sports. The convergence has already begun if you look at my post on the Tour de France teams using MyTracks, SRM equipment, HTC handsets and Suunto heart rate monitors. All of that was made possible by ANT+ connectivity, coming later this year to Android phones using a Texas Instruments WiLink 7.0 chip.

Very cool stuff going on now and on the horizon.